Another homage to the now defunct The Cooper Temple Clause, this time down memory lane in the live arena.

I’ve looked back and found a few live reviews to fit nicely into our coopers section that pays homage to all things ‘clause.

Barnsley Lucorum, September 2006

Venue: Now it can't often be said that a brand new venue locally opens it's doors for business especially in what used to be the cultural wasteland of Barnsley. The Lucorum is best known for been the clubbers club and as such has a pretty cool reputation. The music venue itself is something a bit different as it's a glass roofed atrium in the middle of two old stone buildings which house the expensive bars! It's not massive but nice and airy but with a nice sized stage it's an intimate affair. Support: First up are upcoming local soundscapers Vib Gyor. This lot are gaining a bit of a rep even appearing on local news after a cracking Leeds Festival appearance and with performances like this we're not suprised. Like Doves and Longview there's plenty of epic sounds, good start then. It goes off the boil with This et al who frankly a bit dull. They look the part but you get the feeling they are trying just too hard. As they leave the stage to minimal applause you can see in their faces it didn't work tonight and that's a fair conclusion. The band: We got the feeling that the band were under some pressure on their last tour it been the first one in the post Didz era. Tonight however they seem relaxed by some considerable alocohol intake and it shows in a more comfortable performance, one they really get into. The Music: This is how a gig should be a good selection of new and old stuff, let's face it we all want to hear new tracks but deep down you really want to hear those old gems once more. They start with a new one ('Head' marked on the setlist) and it sounds pretty damn good too. The midset pairing of new singles 'Homosapians' and 'Damage' is somewhat of a masterstroke. The current single 'Homosapians' gets a fantastic reception and so it should, top Coopers stuff. 'Damage' makes a lot more sense live, sounding a bit disjointed on vinyl but paired here with the other new single they sound awesome. Another newie later on with Ben again taking main vocal reigns sounds like what can only be described as elctro hardcore pop rock, typical coopers never one to fit into one pidgeon hole. And now onto the fans favourite part of the evening, the oldies! We have traditional set stalwarts like 'Aim' and revitalised 'Who needs enemies', a killer keychance is all you need indeed! Then what should be to finish we have the song reworking to end all reworkings, 'Panzar Attack' was always a jaw dropping brute of a song but now it's a real monster. We dare anyone to stand still when this dance fuelled rock beast is in full flow. Highlight: The stunning return to form is a real plus and the duo of 'Homosapians' and 'Damage' sound great together. But the real highlight is the interaction between band and crowd, both truely feed off each other especially in a new venue and town never visited before. The reaction to 'Panzar Attack' so momumental that the band come back for a totally unplanned encore of 'Blind Pilots', so much of a suprise the roadies have taken down half the equipment! Verdict: Cool venue, great crowd reaction and a romping performance by the Coopers. Storming return to form and how!

Leeds Festival, August 2005

It’s been somewhat of a while since they’ve been around, holed up in the studio with that ‘difficult’ third album for company. So what gives today? Is it going to be a storming, victorious return or are going to witness a pre third album opus disaster?

Five minutes before they are due on stage a lad turns to his mate and utters “there ain’t many in ‘ere are there”, his companion looks round and confirms that the tent isn’t exactly what you’d consider to be packed out. But as the minutes tick by the tent fills slowly to present the returning stars a reasonable crowd to look out upon especially due to the length of time away and the distance from home turf.

Then back on the stage the lads are and it looks like Ben has changed substantially but it actually turns out to electronic knob twiddler Tom taking charge of vocal duties. It’s the first of four new tracks aired, which seem to move to a more die cast rock sound rather than their renowned left field electro rock collision sound. Ben soon regains control of centre stage for ‘Damage’ which has the kind of verve that bodes well for a possible single release, it’s still more straight rock with a line of flexing guitars along the stage edge. To add to the variety of the new material later sees Keiron take the vocal reigns, which is greeted with great crowd approval.

 So great some new stuff and it goes down well but it’s a festival and what do festival crowds really love to do? Oh yes rock out to some proven classics and on this score the coopers sure don’t disappoint. Well then ‘Promises Promises’ is lapped up and gives the tent some real action. ‘New Toys’ is a real gem thrown into the festival mix and is greeted with a pretty damn warm response. But it’s the finale that is the highlight and possibly the biggest surprise too. ‘Panzer Attack’ is a monster of a song but here it is given one hell of a techno, electro, hardcore fusion intro which seemingly lasts forever much to the tents enjoyment. Once it finally kicks in it really kicks in and kicks off in fact with punters flying all over the place!

So have we witnessed a triumph or a disaster? Well it’s always difficult to play new stuff at festivals especially if there’s no new album in the offing but to be fair it ain’t no disaster and the crowds response is well favourable so congrats on a job well done. But must dash it’s down to the main stage to see what all the fuss is about as The Killers are on in five and then it’s a dash back for a packed end to the day in the tent to see Kasabian, festivals god love ‘em!

Footnote – I was lucky enough to blagg my way backstage for a while and happened across Didz whom I’ve been fortunate to chat to on numerous occasions. I had a brief chat with him about how the album was going, how they were looking forward to getting back on stage and how it had gone at Reading. I kept it brief as he was sat with the singer of Kasabian at the time sharing a couple of beers but everything seemed rosy in the coopers garden. It came as a surprise as just a few weeks later Didz walked to join up with the non smackhead ex Libertine, just shows you can never tell what’s going on when it comes to bands behind closed doors.

Manchester Band on the wall, July 2004

Why? A select pre-American few dates jaunt round the country to get back into the live groove in front of a few friendly faces. Plus the important job of blooding a new member albeit a temporary one, ladies and gentlemen welcome Dan Austin (big beard and all). Weather? It’s Manchester, it’s summer and it’s pissing it down outside… The Venue? The Band on the Wall is a very cool place, it’s a tad on the run down side but that all adds to it’s charm. Not a huge place adds to a good sense of getting something special here. It’s a bloody hot place though, some proper air con would be nice and that’s even before they take the stage. On the plus side there a decent enough range of beers and it’s not London prices! Setlist? Now this is where it gets a bit controversial as no ‘Kill Music’ nor ‘Who needs Enemies’ but what you’re missing is made up for what you get for your money! For the old times there’s ‘Amber’, ‘The Lake’ and double A side singles ‘Been training dogs’ and ‘Film-Maker’. Then from the ‘Kick up the..’ album we have crowd pleasers ‘Blind Pilots’ and ‘Promises Promises’ then there’s the Cooper’s self confessed favourite live song ‘Music Box’. Add to this some rare b sides and plenty of Fisher’s vocals and you’re in for a treat. The Gig? Now I’d like to write an impartial review of this gig, maybe stood with my pipe and notepad at the back of the venue, taking notes whilst sipping on a brandy or two but that ain’t what happened. What happened is that The Cooper’s fucking rocked so hell to it all, I ended up in the third row rocking out covered in sweat with the best of ‘em. Now those in the know knew that it was Didz birthday and he was off paternity leave for one night to watch his replacement in action… yeah right. What we got was more Cooper’s for our money with Didz joining in, twin bass now there’s a quality idea. The band looked like they enjoyed themselves, I can definitely say the crowd enjoyed themselves and everyone ended up covered in sweat! Fav Song? Now I have to say I’m partial to ‘Music Box’, it’s like about three songs in one and live it’s awesome but hats off to the finale of ‘Panzer Attack’, cracking. Conclusion? Well to sum up…..Fucking brilliant! The lad’s got a decent warm up, played a variety of songs and Dan seemed to fit into the mix perfectly. Didz seemed to have a rather splendid time, back to the dirty nappies as the band jet off stateside, but a great birthday none the less. Then what did the fans get out of it? Well, seeing the band in a cracking intimate venue is nice, exciting line up changes and songwise, some old favs, different b sides and a lot of quality. Not bad then, oh and on a footnote my white trainers took so much of a battering darn the front I had to put them in the washer when I got home, the sign of a true enjoyment!

Leeds Metro University, November 03

It’s like hell’s kitchen in here, packed to the rafters, sweat everywhere and that’s even before the coopers take to the stage. It’s time to kick on, I was not overly impressed by a rather limp T in the Park performance (my last TCTC homage) which isn’t right. I should be in a sweat induced coma for days after every coopers live experience but no it was just okay, I didn’t really understand that concept. But since then there's been the second album and now 'kill music’ expects, to quote some dead pop star, ‘here I am now, entertain me’!

 So is it the return to form expected, fucking too right it is! Nobody is leaving hell’s kitchen disappointed nor sweat free tonight; it’s a classic alright. You can tell it’s one of those nights, there’s a guy stood behind me hollowing for the coopsters to ‘play some old stuff’, they completely disregard his request and storm into ‘Promises Promises’ and he goes crazy for it!

So you want some old stuff then? How about probably the definitive ‘The Devil walks in the sand’ and then huge chunks of ‘See this through and leave’ kicked out to mass acclaim and general jumping around madness and mayhem. ‘Panzer Attack’ is it’s usual tour de force, ‘Let’s Kill Music’ is an absolute gem and ‘Film-maker’ is a real treat. It’s getting hotter and hotter in the kitchen with sweat even dripping from Ben’s longhaired floppy soaked fringe!

The real eye opener is that not only does ‘Kick up the fire, and let the flames break loose’ tracks get as good as reception but most are as good if not better than their well known predecessors. The tour promoting single ‘Blind Pilots’ is exceptional, accessible and catchy as hell and even more leftfield tracks like ‘Music Box’, a real slow burner which builds up and builds up really kicks ass. You’ve really got to hand it to the cooper lads, it’s not too often you can run out of words to describe how good a band are but I have tonight, just sheer cooper class.

In hell’s kitchen tonight the devil ain’t walking in the sand, no he’s down the front giving it fucking loads bowing down to the might of The Cooper Temple Clause and he isn’t the only one either!

SETLIST

• 1 - A.I.M

• 2 – PROMISES, PROMISES

• 3 – WHO NEEDS ENEMIES?

• 4 – BLIND PILOTS

• 5 – NEW TOYS

• 6 – LET’S KILL MUSIC

• 7 – MURDER SONG

• 8 – FILM-MAKER

• 9 – BEEN TRAINING DOGS

• 10 – DEVIL WALKS IN THE SAND

• 11 – THE LAKE

• 12 – DID YOU MISS ME?

• 13 – PANZER ATTACK